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by ridiculouslyoptimistic
Summary: Ross finally feels complete. The follow up to Back to December. Raura.


She's pacing nervously.

Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes wide and she's muttering uplifting words under her breath as she walks to the gate entrance before turning on her heel and returning to the spot where he sat watching.

It takes every ounce of his willpower not to burst out laughing. Bringing his hand to his face, he presses his index finger on top of his lips to keep from speaking as she comes to a stop to his front, placing her hands on her hips and sending him a glare.

He does his best to look concerned, but he can't hold it in any longer because she looks so ridiculously adorable that he doubles over laughing.

"I'm sorry," he wheezes slightly when he can breathe again, "I just don't understand why you're nervous. You've known my family for years."

"Because," she sighs, plopping down in the seat beside him and twisting her torso so she can look him in the eye, "I was the reason we broke up last time and I don't want them to hate me for hurting you."

His expression softens as he gazes at her adoringly, wondering how anyone could ever hate the world's most perfect human being.

Sure, when she had first ended things between them, he'd been devastated. He'd gone through the normal stages of the grieving process until he realized that even when he felt as though every part of his body was being eaten alive, he still couldn't manage to hate Laura.

So he'd accepted the breakup. He accepted the fact that she wanted to be apart. But that didn't mean he'd moved on.

That heartache always remained and now flared up once more at the sight of her close to tears.

He grabs her hands, squeezing them tightly in his own and smiles at her because his brain can't come up with any emotion besides happiness when he sees her big bambi eyes.

"How can they hate the girl I love?" he whispers, bringing her hands to his lips and kissing them softly.

Her breath hitches in her throat and she laughs, filling the air with the only sound that makes him instantly feel as though he's flying and leans forward to kiss his cheek lightly.

"Thank you," she says sincerely, smiling widely and causing her features to glow.

He parts his lips to speak but gets distracted by something hanging from her neck and furrows his brow in confusion as he lets go of her hands to tug on the chain. As he pulls the necklace into his palm, his eyes widen at the familiar sight.

"You kept it," he says in awe, running his thumb over heart shaped outline of the small silver ring.

It was the one he'd given her for their six month anniversary, the night he'd realized it didn't matter where his journey took him as long as she walked by his side.

Consequently, when they broke up, she tried to give it back, but he told her to keep it. In the back of his mind, he said it to be sadistic, thinking she would keep it until she could no longer stand the reminder before throwing it away. But as he thinks back he realizes that this is Laura and she isn't capable of being that vindictive, least of all to him.

"Well, of course," she says softly, smiling down at his palm, "You gave it to me."

It seems strange that such simple words would make him so happy, but they do and he laughs as he pulls her into hug, sighing as he thinks that she fits perfectly in his embrace. When they pull apart, he tugs on the chain, pulling it from her neck and dumping the ring into his hand.

He holds it firmly between his thumb and forefinger, biting his lip nervously as he looks at her from beneath his eyelashes because he knows she can't resist his puppy dog face.

"Will you wear it again?" he asks, wondering why his heart is beating unusually fast.

"Of course," she grins, holding out her right hand and watching as he slips into place on her ring finger before clapping his cheeks between her palms and smacking a kiss to his lips.

It's amazing how effortless they fall back into being a couple, but perhaps he shouldn't be surprised, because things with Laura had always been easy. In the grand scheme of things, the ups and downs seemed very minor.

They laugh as they discuss their plans for the weekend, their fingers intertwined on the arm of the chair until the flight attendant announces it's time to board. He helps her with her bags and thirty minutes later, they're settled into their seats as the plane leaves the runway.

He turns to her once they're up in the air, expecting her to be all smiles, and she is…sort of. Her smile is extremely forced and she's clutching the arm of her seat so tightly that her knuckles have turned white.

"Laura," he says calmly, stroking her arm to soothe her and carefully prying her fingers from the warm metal. "Everything will be fine."

She nods quickly, taking a deep breath and settling back into the seat. He slips his hand against her palm and laces their fingers together, squeezing her hand tightly and shooting her an encouraging smile.

She breathes normally once more and twenty minutes into the flight, she's fallen asleep on his shoulder. He smiles down at her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as he traces a finger over the ring, outlining the interlocking hearts. As he closes his eyes, he falls asleep smiling, remembering how it all began.

…

_He was sick the day of the first table read. _

_Ignoring his mother's warnings, he'd stayed outside until the early hours of the morning playing street hockey in the rain with his brothers. Of course, this turned out to be an awful idea when he woke up his first day of work with a sore throat and a runny nose. _

_He walks into the room clutching a packet of tissues and searches for a familiar face, his eyes soon landing on Laura, who was cast as the female lead. He'd met her a couple months ago when they had been paired together for screen tests. The producers liked them together because of their contrasting appearances: she was a petite brunette and he a tall blonde. Not to mention they both seemed to perfectly embody the written characters. _

_She was the shy songwriter to his confident performer. Even in real life they were a perfect match._

_They hadn't talked much that first day, just introduced themselves and performed a scene together, but it had felt completely natural. He left the room feeling as if he'd known her his entire life. _

_So he walks up to her and smiles widely and she immediately beams, her entire face lighting with joy and causing a strange twisting feeling in the pit of his stomach. He writes it off as nerves. _

"_Hey Ross!" she greets him, waving cutely. _

"_Hey, Laura," he replies, sniffling slightly. _

_Her eyebrows furrow in concern. "Oh no, are you sick?"_

_He shrugs, not wanting to seem needy, but enjoying her motherly instincts. "It's just a cold, I'll get over it."_

_She nods and they take their seats at the table beside each other, silently reading the front cover of the script. _

_They're halfway through reading the pilot when he coughs for the fiftieth time. He's been counting because it's making everyone uncomfortable and he can see them shifting away out of concern for their own health. Laura looks at him out of the corner of her eye and purses her lips and he smiles apologetically. _

_As he's reading the lines for his scene on The Helen Show, he sees Laura slip out of her seat and momentarily disappear. She reappears seconds later with a room temperature bottle of water and pushes it in front of him, effortlessly beginning her lines right on cue. _

_He stares at her in amazement, smiling gratefully as he unscrews the cap and takes a sip, thinking that this girl was going to ruin him._

…

_She's unusually quiet, he notices. They're sitting in the car on the way to their first televised interview and she hasn't said a word in the past ten minutes. Her normal positive energy has been replaced by quiet thoughtfulness and he doesn't like it. _

_Her excitement is what keeps him going and he's nervous enough without her being silent. _

"_Everything alright?" he whispers nervously because he isn't sure if he's allowed to ask that question. They're not exactly the kind of friends that comfort each other in times of hardship. _

_She turns from the window and smiles widely, her eyes shining with tears and lies. "Yes, I'm fine."_

_He doesn't believe her, but he doesn't push it because he doesn't know what else to say. So instead he tries to make her smile for real. _

"_Hey, Laura?"_

_She hums and smiles softly in response. _

"_Why was the mushroom invited to the party?"_

"_Why?" she asks, smiling a little wider. _

_He grins to encourage her happiness. "Because he's a fungi."_

_She bursts out laughing, the sweet, melodic sound filling the back seat of the car and making him feel instantly warm and happy. For the rest of the day, she's back to normal and he decides that making her laugh is his new favorite hobby. _

…

_She looks gorgeous. _

_Of course, he always thinks she looks pretty, but there's something about the fact that she's not trying at all that makes it extra special. She's wearing glasses and her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun and her oversized t-shirt and sweatpants look as though they're going to swallow her whole, but she's never looked more beautiful. _

_She's sleeping soundly in the seat beside him on their flight home from Australia and he can't seem to tear his eyes away. It's more than the fact that she looks extremely peaceful that's causing him to feel like something in their relationship has shifted. _

_This was the first time they'd ever spent this much time together. Sure, they filmed together, but this time it was just the two of them, and he'd had the time of time of his life. He'd come to realize that nothing could ever be awkward between him and Laura, no matter what. _

_Which is why he was so distraught at the fluttering in the pit of his stomach. He felt as though they really bonded during this trip, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that what actually happened is that he finally realized his feelings. _

_They'd always been there, but the happiness he felt when he hugged her or just got to touch her hand confirmed his suspicions: he liked her as much more than a friend. The only problem was, he had no idea how to say so, especially since he was willing to bet she wouldn't respond the way he wanted. _

_Not that she didn't feel the same way; he knew the fact the fact that she kept her arms around his waist a little too long when they took pictures had to mean something. No, it was because Laura was rational and she would be too worried about ruining their friendship and their professional relationship if they were to start anything. _

_Of course he was worried about those things too. He was just too captivated by the way her eyelids fluttered when she slept to remember why. _

_The fluttering became more rapid and she turned in her seat, so he closed his eyes quickly as he realized she was waking up. Moments later, he felt her sit up straight. _

"_Ross," she whispers, nudging him gently with her elbow. "Ross, wake up."_

_He yawns dramatically to make it seem as though he had, in fact, been asleep and gives her a sleepy smile. "What's up?"_

"_Have you ever been in love?"_

_He wonders if that's a trick question. Surely she's aware of his feelings and knows answering that will be tricky, so maybe it's some sort of test. But then he realizes that's so unlike Laura, so he blinks in response. _

"_Have you?" he asks rather than answering. _

_They aren't the kinds of friends who have these sorts of conversations. Sure, they tell people they're close, but that's in the 'we laugh about everything and have a good time together' way, not the 'tell me about your crushes and I'll fix your broken heart' way._

"_I thought so," she whispers, her expression suddenly sad. _

_He balls his hands into fists on instinct and breathes deeply through his nose to calm his sudden desire to punch in the face of the person responsible for causing her eyes to become wet with tears. _

"_What happened?" he asks, partly because he's curious, but mostly because he plans on acquiring some investigative skills and putting them to good use. _

"_Just life," she shrugs, "People change, you move on. It was probably for the best, anyway. Everything happens for a reason, right?"_

"_Right," he agrees, happy that she's happy once more. _

"_You'll find love one day," he says, although his heart is aching as he wonders what he'll do if it turns out its not him. _

"_Thanks," she smiles softly, patting his arm, "So will you."_

_She turns her body and closes her eyes once more and he stares at her longingly, wondering if he should tell her that it's too late: he's already found it. _

…

_The most heartbreaking night of his life was unusually warm for December, even in California. He's humming to himself as he walks to where he's supposed to meet her on the boardwalk, wondering how he possibly could have gotten so lucky. _

_After three years of being a coward, he'd finally made a move and it ended up paying off. He swore he'd never forget the feeling of absolute joy and the tingling of his skin when he felt her kissing back for the first time. _

_He'd waited a few months to confess his love because he didn't want to scare her, but she'd said it back almost immediately, and ever since, their relationship had been nothing short of magical. _

_He grins instantly when he spots her waiting a few feet away. She looks beautiful in the moonlight, her hair blowing softly in the breeze and he kisses her before she can speak because he loves the way her lips fit perfectly with his. _

_The fact that she didn't smile against his mouth should have been the first indication that something was wrong. _

_So when she says she wants to take a break, he knows she's hiding something deeper, and sure enough, her plea to break up comes soon after. _

_Walking away from her that night was physically painful. He spends the remainder of the night sipping a bottle of whiskey and hurling things at the wall: books, chairs, and finally his fist until he's so exhausted he can barely stand. _

_As he sinks into his couch, the picture he and Laura took after their first date at the water park catches his eye. He stares at the way she's smiling in the sunlight, thinking she looks beautiful as she poses for the camera and he smiles as he realizes, in the picture he's staring at her, unable to look away. _

_He often found himself captivated by her and he didn't think that was going to change any time soon, no matter how much she wanted it to. _

_He sighs as he realizes that being angry is useless. Laura would never hurt him on purpose – not unless she had a damn good reason. So the only explanation was that she was scared that relationship was turning out to be everything she thought it would be. _

_All he knew was that those words he had serenaded her with were true: what they had was never ending. He just needed her to realize that as well. _

…

_When she showed up on his doorstep, at first he thought he was hallucinating. _

_After all, it wouldn't be the first time. _

_He couldn't remember the number of instances he'd see her face in the crowd at a show or think he'd spotted her walking down the street. But then he'd blink and she'd be gone. _

_So his first thought when he opened the door to find her standing there was that she wasn't real. He blinks a couple times, but she's still there, and then she speaks and he feels as though the ground has fallen from beneath him and he's hanging in midair. _

"_What are you doing here?" he blurts out because he's genuinely curious and it's the only thing that's going to stop him from professing his love for her on the spot. _

_She makes up some excuse about how she heard he was in town and she just wanted to say hi, but he knows she has ulterior motive because she's still the girl he loves and he still knows her better than anyone. _

_So he invites her in because even though being near her hurts, it hurts in the best possible way and they sit on the couch and make small talk about their careers. They complement each other back and forth until he can't take it anymore and he puts an end to it. _

"_Laura, what are you doing here?"_

"_I wanted to say I'm sorry."_

_He already knows the answer when he asks what for, but her explanation still causes him to feel as though his heart has been ripped out of his chest. Everything she says is achingly true: they were perfect and that was terrifying. The only difference was that he was willing to face the unknown with her, he was willing to believe it would always stay that way, but apparently she didn't feel the same. _

_Or at least that's what he thought until –_

"_I still love you."_

_He looks up at her wide eyed and wondering if he heard her correctly and when he sees the smile on her face, his heart sings as he repeats the words back to her. But then he realizes he has to be rational, so he asks how this time will be any different. She responds with the perfect answer, but it doesn't even matter, because he'd known since he saw her on the doorstep that there was no way he was letting her leave again. _

_And when he invites her to come home with him that weekend, she says, "I'm already home," and he realizes he couldn't agree more. _

…

The sound of the flight attendant's nasally voice announcing their landing jolts them from their sleep and he smiles as he realizes their fingers are still intertwined. Laura wakes at a slower pace, blinking a few times before grinning at him sleepily.

"Hello," she whispers, her voice hoarse and groggy.

He grins as he always does when he sees her smile and kisses her forehead briefly before unfastening his seatbelt and standing to get their bags from the overhead compartment.

She follows suit and in no time they're walking out of the gate towards the airport exit. He spots his mom by the door and mimics her action of waving enthusiastically before pausing and turning to his girlfriend.

"You know it's not going to be easy, right?" he says, deciding that if she wants out, it's better if she leaves earlier rather than later.

She nods, reaching up to cup his cheek with her palm and gaze directly into his eyes. "I know. But we'll figure it out. Together."

Her words are exactly what he wants to hear and he leans down and kisses her quickly before intertwining their fingers. As she smiles up at him sweetly, he breathes a sigh of relief because the girl he loves has finally returned to him, setting everything right in the world.

So he grips her hand tightly and guides her home.


End file.
